


pick up the pace

by loveis4hwalls



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sports, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Sharing a Room, Soccer AU, but not the romantic one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-14 12:44:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20600993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveis4hwalls/pseuds/loveis4hwalls
Summary: Here it finally is, the U-League tournament that Changkyun has waited for all that time. He's going to prove himself, show everyone he's good at what he does, and...share a room with the one guy he can't stand.





	pick up the pace

**Author's Note:**

> hello, thanks for being here!  
this is prompt MX-105 of the fic fest. it was supposed to be just a one shot buuuut,,, i got carried away and so this will be a chaptered fic! hope you enjoy!

After forty years, you would think nobody would be singing “We are the champions” in the bus anymore, but the song remained a legend for young soccer players. Some myth suggested it brought luck upon them before a competition, but most sang it just because it was a great tune, and it never got old. Even after six hours of driving to the south, three minutes of the same song on loop. Changkyun heaved a sigh as he pushed his feet deeper into the back of the seat before him. If only he hadn’t forgotten his headphones at the dorm, he could be listening to something a bit more recent (wait, when were AC/DC active?) and tune out the laughs and chatter of his colleagues. But this fucker, Jeonghan, he thought hiding people’s stuff was a funny prank. God, when he’d be back, he would smash his pretty, graceful face into their shared chest of drawers. No, obviously he wouldn’t. You don’t touch someone who’s good-looking. They’re always so much better than everyone else, right? Blah blah.

Minhyuk’s elbow bumped into his when he was clapping along to the song. Of course, no apology. That’s Minhyuk for you. Shameless, careless, and that’s how everyone liked him. Changkyun huffed out, amused at his friend’s enthusiasm. He looked like he was attending a concert, not listening to eight rough, croaky-voiced boys attempt to cover a song far above their skill.

“God, when are we getting there?” he muttered to himself, catching Minhyuk’s attention.

He let his hands down, slapping his thighs, his lips pursed. Here came the nagging. “Oh come on, stop being broody. You’re not fourteen anymore, are you?”

Changkyun responded with a pout. “What? I was just wondering-”

“You’re just like the donkey in Shrek! Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” He offered his best impression of the fictional character, and maybe he got way too into it to the point he was just continuing the scene.

Did he have the whole script memorized? Weirdo. That’s something he would do. Just like that one time he left him a voicemail reciting the whole Bee movie script. Changkyun had a headache just thinking about it. His partners’ horrid singing was far better than anything Minhyuk had ever pulled on him. 

The voices died down when Hyunwoo rose from his seat, towering over the whole team and stumbling all the way to the front of the bus. Damn, big guy. It was as if the vehicle dug into the highway a little deeper for each step he took. See, that’s unfair. Changkyun and him practiced the same sport, and only one of them was ripped? Genetics.

Grabbing the microphone from behind the steering wheel, he snapped his fingers to make sure he had everyone’s attention. Obviously, it worked. Hyunwoo was the nicest of guys, but you wouldn’t want to upset him when it came to soccer. That’s serious business. “We’re about ten minutes away from the hotel we’re staying at.” Soonyoung attempted to start a cheering chain in response, but the captain’s straight face quickly made him swallow it back. “Remember why we’re here, boys.”

“To win!” They chanted in unison, aside from Hyungwon who was still in the middle of a nap. Changkyun could only envy his ability to sleep through everything - that would help, with him being friends with Minhyuk and all.

“Exactly. And to do our best, most importantly. We’ve prepared for this, so now we have to show everyone we can do it. I believe in you guys,” he stopped a second to spin around and face Seokmin, “and tie your shoe laces this time, alright?” He was met with a forced smile. “Go Yonsei!” They repeated after him.

They didn’t have the best team in the country, sure, but ever since Hyunwoo had become the captain, they had risen in popularity, and skill most importantly. Changkyun would have probably quit if it wasn't for him. It was nice having some kind of, dare he say it, father figure to constantly remind you not to give up no matter how useless you felt. Without him, the team wouldn’t have been qualified for the U-League tournament. He carried it all by himself, with the occasional help of the coach, and Kihyun, who had become manager of the team just to relieve his good old friend of some stress. Successful people all around, uh? Changkyun blew air out of his nostrils, bumping his forehead intro the vibrating window. Unfair. He couldn’t even get the position he wanted.

The bus slowed down a few minutes after it left the highway, stopping in front of a big, boxy house. That was the dorm? Guess the team’s budget had doubled since last year - Changkyun remembered how they had to sleep in tents in some shabby camping, sharing an area with a few middle aged men who never seemed to have enough to drink. Obviously, they didn’t have enough money for everyone to get their own room, only to themselves, but with a bit of luck, he would be paired with someone who’s not too annoying. Changkyun crossed his fingers, make it Hyungwon. He’s quiet, pretty nice, and sleeps early. The perfect roommate. 

Everyone got rid of their safety belts and strode to the exit, and so he followed, his spine feeling like pasta cooked too long. Not the best state to be in before a match. But he probably wasn’t the only one. Finally stepping outside and feeling the light hitting his face, he stretched his arms up in the air, standing on the tip of his toes like he would take off any second now. Gosh, that felt good. He could almost feel each of his vertebrae take back their normal position, but it’s not like he even knew what vertebrae looked like. Now to get his precious luggage before anyone had a chance to take a sneak peek of whatever was in it - as if they would be remotely interested in his SpongeBob boxers and his Nintendo Switch. He took a determined step forward, but flew to the right when a lanky mass bumped right into him.

“Hey-” It was Hyungwon. No need to bother with him, he wouldn’t even care. Judging by his fit of yawns, it’s likely he didn’t even notice the collision. As if he hadn’t napped enough during the ride.

Trying to ignore his ego telling him to jump on Hyungwon’s throat, he walked to the luggage compartment and looked for his suitcase. Heavy as usual. He set it down on the floor with a thud, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Sweating so early? He had never been one to have the best stamina, frankly. Thank God, his suitcase had wheels, and there was no need to carry it around like a bodybuilder - unless he wanted to show off, which wouldn’t even cross his mind, considering he would probably manage to pull a muscle.

As if life hadn’t been mean enough to him, the first thing his nose met when he turned around was Hoseok’s rock hard chest. Man, just like in animes, when the protagonist falls down head first into a girl’s giant bazoonkas. Probably would have liked that better than those pecs. Less comfortable. 

“Kihyun’s got something to say,” Hoseok announced, patting Changkyun’s shoulder, “so get with the group.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You’re not my dad, he wanted to say. 

Dragging his luggage on the pavement, he joined the team, standing next to an overly enthusiastic Minhyuk who seemed to give less than a fuck about whatever Kihyun wanted to say. But when Hyunwoo finally joined the crowd, he shut his mouth, an air of seriousness settling on his usually cheerful face. He wasn’t joking around either when it came to soccer, uh?

“I’ll be telling you the pairs for the rooms, so listen closely because I won’t repeat myself, got it?” His eyes scanned the team as if to confirm he wouldn’t have to kill anyone today. Would be a shame to lose a member before a big match. “Ok first, room 102, Mingyu and Minhyuk.” Minhyuk stretched his body over Changkyun’s head to give a high five to his newfound roommate. “Room 105, Hoseok and I.”

Hoseok cheered and pulled Kihyun in a (hopefully) playful chokehold, most likely unaware of his strength. The dude needed to be more careful. He did make Soonyoung choke last week when he “patted” his back (at least that’s what he insisted happened, who knows if there was foul play). “You’ll have to sing me to sleep,” he beamed, his hand resting on the manager’s shoulder.

Kihyun vaguely waved his hand in the air, as if to swat Hoseok away. “Yeah, right. Let me continue.” For a moment, he had to gather himself to look for the right information. “Ah, room 103, Jooheon and Changkyun.”

Oh. Changkyun didn’t even bother to nod, his body freezing at the sound of that name. He tuned out the rest of Kihyun’s speech. Great, just great. It had to be Jooheon, out of all people. Hell, he would’ve even preferred Seokmin. Jooheon was...Not Changkyun’s cup of tea. In other words, he just couldn’t stand him. For a series of reasons. Which he wasn’t ready to admit. Hey, maybe Kihyun would be kind enough to let him trade rooms with someone else if he asked nicely? Alright, that wasn’t Kihyun’s type to do so, but lightning does not strike the same place twice, right? Life couldn’t possibly want to punish him even more than that.

A nudge from Minhyuk pulled him out of his contemplations. “You okay, bro?” He responded with a “what-do-you-think” shrug. “Are you still not over the fact that he became the central midfielder when that was what you wanted?”

Oh wow, hitting where it hurts. Sometimes Minhyuk really should keep his mouth shut. Sure he was right, but he didn’t have to say it. Grumbling, Changkyun flipped him off and grabbed his suitcase with the other hand, walking toward his certain death.

The hotel nailed the whole “used to be shabby but was renovated recently” vibe. Some bad paint jobs here and there, the front door’s glass tainted with a shapeless mass of hand prints, and a huge, sinister abstract painting that you would only find in your grandmother’s attic. Changkyun snorted; he could only wonder what kind of person the owner could be. Some part of him imagined an old man who decided to turn his life around after the loss of his longtime partner, but wouldn’t that be too melodramatic? It was probably a weirdo with a taste for ugly art. He shifted his gaze to the key in his hand. 103, uh? Yeah, he couldn’t have the goddamn 101 room to accompany his love for the 101 Dalmatians movie. Hyunwoo and the coach had pulled that one. Lucky bastards.

He unlocked the door with a tremble in his hand, trying not to think too much about his roommate. It’s not like they had to spend any time together, let alone talk, right? He could just go in Minhyuk’s room for most of the time and just come back to sleep. Yeah. That’d be okay.

The room wasn’t as small as he would have expected. The two single beds were on opposite corners of the square room, with bedside tables acting as a barrier, and shelves on either walls. It smelled like cigarette. Come on, not even a non-smoker room. Changkyun blew air out of his nose and pushed his suitcase to the foot of the bed. He was almost relaxed enough to yawn when he heard footsteps behind him.

“Hey,” Jooheon’s honey voice resonated behind him, “it’s cool we get to room together.” Barely concealed, Changkyun could hear hesitation in his tone. Obviously Jooheon wasn't blind, and he had noticed Changkyun had...something against him. “We can like...Get to know each other...” His voice faltered.

Not daring to turn around in fear of meeting his puppy eyes, Changkyun simply shrugged and threw himself on the bed he had chosen. The one closer to the window. Don’t tell anyone, but he wasn’t a big fan of darkness. Hopefully Jooheon wasn’t the type to sleep with full blinds. 

Closing his eyes for a second, he let out a sigh, running his hands through his hair. Then he heard the sound of a zipper, and he couldn’t help but look. Jooheon was already unpacking. Quick to make himself home. He was just comfortable with anything, uh. Without a word, Changkyun observed him shove his clothes in the closet, then stick a photo of the team on the wall. He could barely muffle a snicker. Really, a photo of the team? As if they were his dead family. He just had to try and be the perfect young man in every single way, that Jooheon. Pfft. Who could stand a guy like that? Always smiling, always kind no matter who hurts him, always looking after others like it’s his job. And handsome at that. Changkyun thought of a thousand ways to curse him, but it wasn’t like you could even do that to Jooheon. With that grin of his, he looked just like a happy kid. He couldn’t think of hurting him. Or hating him.

Especially now that he had pulled that grizzly bear plushie out of his bag and proudly set it on his bedside table. Ears torn and fur clumping together, it looked worn, as if he had it for a very long time. Maybe he did. What if it was his plush from when he was a kid? Changkyun chuckled to himself as he remembered the toy his mother had given him when he was no older than six months old. Mister Cabbage, a bunny with green ear tips and big teeth. For most of his childhood it followed him everywhere, until he got into the period where little boys like to experiment new things, and maybe Mister Cabbage ended up in the blender. Well, that was its fault for being named Mister Cabbage. That’s where cabbages belong. If this bear was from Jooheon’s childhood, it wasn’t in that bad of a shape.

Jooheon almost flinched when he saw Changkyun staring at the toy. His cheeks filled with colors as he stared at his feet, rubbing the warmth off his neck. “It’s my lucky charm,” he admitted, although he hadn’t been asked. “Can’t win a match if it’s not with me.”

Yeah, sure. It’s not the sheer talent that helps him win matches, it’s definitely that beat up teddy bear. Feeling the ghost of a smile curl up the corners of his lips, Changkyun immediately rolled onto his other side, nose inches from the wall. Screw Jooheon for being adorable. Makes him so hard to hate. Changkyun couldn’t imagine being good enough at soccer that he could rely on a powerless plushie. Obviously, Jooheon could. Because everything went well for him, at all times. His stomach burned with a poison he was familiar with: envy. Jooheon had been the main subject of this jealousy, and as much as Changkyun knew the poor boy had nothing to be blamed for, it was reassuring to put it all on someone else’s shoulders. If Changkyun wasn’t succeeding, it wasn’t because he wasn’t good enough, but because someone was better. A thought much easier to deal with than having to improve yourself. And all that, he knew. But he couldn’t, didn’t want to change it.

Rather than dealing with these feelings, Changkyun slept it off. And so he pulled the blanket over his shoulder, slid his arm under the pillow and shut his eyes so tight his brain would hurt.

A gentle tug on his shoulder woke him from a strange dream of bread and cats. With a growl, he rubbed his eye, trying to fight the heavy weight of his lids. When he won the battle, the first thing to greet his eyes was Jooheon’s face close-up, his nose a hair away from landing on his plump, juicy lips. His blood cold, he flinched and backed away, banging the back of his skull in the wall. He clenched his jaw as he rubbed his head.

“Oh my god, are you alright?” Jooheon stood up in a flash, putting both of his hands on Changkyun’s head as if to check for a fatal wound. “I’m so sorry!”

At the feel of Jooheon’s soft fingers tangling in his hair, Changkyun immediately felt heat rush to his ears, a tingling sensation putting his whole body to sleep. Before he could let that feeling settle in, he rose, yanking the older one’s hands away from him. Damn it. Too close. His full face now burning with warmth, he stared at a corner of the room, avoiding Jooheon’s eyes no matter the cost. “I’m fine”, he mumbled, though it must have sounded much more feeble than he was aiming.

With no other comment on whatever had happened before, Jooheon spoke up, “Uh, it’s time for dinner in the cafeteria. I heard Hyunwoo-hyung ordered pizza for us...”

There was a silence, before Changkyun finally dared to turn around again. Jooheon still had a tender smile on his face, as if he wasn’t just being treated like shit for no reason. What kind of power did he have to be completely unfazed by seemingly being hated while having done nothing wrong? Another reason for Changkyun to envy him. Him who had so much confidence in himself that some idiot’s opinion wouldn’t make him feel anything. 

If Changkyun could take another nap, he would. But pizza was calling, and so he walked out of his room, following Jooheon’s progressively smaller figure through the hallways. There was an empty seat at Minhyuk, Mingyu and Sooyoung’s table, so he claimed it as his own without a word. Like a reflex, Minhyuk slapped his thigh soundly as soon he landed his ass on the chair, provoking a shriek from Changkyun. Heads turned, and he grew even more embarrassed when he noticed Jooheon looking his way, question marks all over his face.

“Minhyuk for fuck’s sake...” he whispered, before elbowing him in the ribs.

The culprit chuckled, shoving a slice of pizza in his mouth like he hadn’t eaten for days. “So I understand you were having a nap?” he asked rhetorically, words stumbling over each other. Had his mother never told him not to speak with his mouth full?

“Yeah, and what’s wrong with that?”

“Well, while you were playing Sleeping Beauty, Soonyoung and I were practicing. Maybe you should do the same if you don’t want to get rusty.” And another ouch.

Mingyu’s ears seemed to perk up when he heard that, suddenly abandoning his pepperoni pizza to join the conversation. 

“Yo, there’s a park next to the hotel, you know? I think I’m gonna go practice there when I’m done eating.”

Minhyuk also dropped his slice, throwing his hands in the air as if he had been personally attacked. “Are you crazy? It’s too cold at night! If you get sick for the match, I swear to God...”

“Alright, alright,” Mingyu gave in, as if he wasn’t that enthusiastic about the idea in the first place. “I could just play video games in the comfort of my room...”

“Our room,” Minhyuk sighed.

Chankyun took a bite out of his pizza, tuning his friends out. It’s summer, in Busan, it couldn't be that cold, right? Maybe he should go practice...After all, he was obviously miles behind his teammates. If he came to be the reason they lost the match...He wouldn’t forgive himself. Yeah, it wouldn’t be too cold. He would definitely practice, and hard for once.


End file.
